TV Rerun: Emmys Mob the White House
By Mark Armstrong --
Looks like The Sopranos will take another whack at The West Wing.

After two years of getting snubbed come trophy time, David Chase's acclaimed HBO Mob drama will try, try again at the 53rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, as it picked up a field-best 22 nominations Thursday, including Outstanding Drama Series.

Facing off against the New Jersey family is (no big shocker here) last year's Emmy monster, The West Wing, which scored 18 nominations this year, including a surprising Outstanding Lead Actor nomination for Rob Lowe. Last September, Aaron Sorkin's Oval Office drama broke the record for most Emmy wins by a TV series with nine.

Otherwise, the Outstanding Drama category remains unchanged from last year, as The West Wing and The Sopranos compete with ER, The Practice and Law & Order. That's despite heavy lobbying for other critically hailed dramas like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, rookie breakout hit C.S.I. and Once and Again.

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Muniz isn't the only Emmy newcomer. On the drama side, Marg Helgenberger received her first Lead Actress in a Drama nomination for CBS' rookie crime hit, C.S.I. (she was previously nominated for Supporting Actress for ABC's China Beach), while former Homicide Emmy winner Andre Braugher is back with a Lead Actor nod for ABC's not-so-big hit, the now-defunct medical drama Gideon's Crossing.

Braugher's Lead Actor competition in the drama category includes Gandolfini for The Sopranos, Lowe and Martin Sheen for The West Wing and Dennis Franz for NYPD Blue.

For lead actress, it's Falco and Bracco nominated alongside Helgenberger, Amy Brenneman for CBS' Judging Amy and Sela Ward for ABC's Once and Again.

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The Emmys, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, will be broadcast live from Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium on CBS September 16.

Lead Actress, Drama Series: Lorraine Bracco, The Sopranos, HBO; Amy Brenneman, Judging Amy, CBS; Edie Falco, The Sopranos, HBO; Marg Helgenberger, C.S.I., CBS; Sela Ward, Once and Again, ABC

Guest Actor in a Drama Series: Rene Auberjonois, The Practice, ABC; James Cromwell, ER, NBC; Patrick Dempsey, Once and Again, ABC; Michael Emerson, The Practice, ABC; Oliver Platt, The West Wing, NBC

Casting for a Drama Series: Law & Order, NBC; Once and Again, ABC; The Practice, ABC; The Sopranos, HBO; The West Wing, NBC__E!Online.com (July 12, 2001)